Khouri fights back

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Controversial author Norma Khouri remains defiant over allegations that her best-selling book Forbidden Love was a hoax.

Khouri's book has been pulled from retailers' shelves after claims she fabricated a so-called true story.

But Khouri, who is in the United States, will appear tomorrow night on the Nine network's A Current Affair to defend herself.

She reportedly told the program that the scandal may force her and her family to leave their home on Queensland's Bribie Island.

She says the scandal is endangering the safety of her two children.

Her Brisbane lawyer Peter Black said he had spoken yesterday to the author in the US where she fled last month to gather evidence in support of her book.

"She is still very defiant," Mr Black said.

Khouri's Australian publisher Random House last Friday permanently withdrew Forbidden Love from sale.

Random House said evidence she had submitted earlier in the week was not conclusive proof she had spent her life in Jordan and that her best friend had been the victim of an honour killing by her father, as depicted in the book.

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"It didn't take them [Random House] long to make up their minds," Mr Black said.

"They gave her until Friday to respond to them and when she didn't respond to them, they pulled the pin on her.

"They were obviously very anxious to move."

The Sydney Morning Herald last month said Khouri left Jordan at the age of three and lived in the US city of Chicago for most of her life, and that her friend never existed.

Mr Black said Khouri had no plans to return to Australia in the near future.

Her next book, A Matter of Honour, was due out in November but Random House has now refused to publish it.

The publisher has also offered booksellers refunds for Forbidden Love, which was commissioned and edited in New York.

It has sold more than 250,000 copies in 15 countries, with most of the sales in Australia.